Fuel trucks
Once the pump is no longer enough, fuel trucks take over. They load at the fuel farm, drive out along the service roads and refuel aircraft right at their stand.
How they work
Fuel trucks come with the research Fuel depot, together with the fuel farm. Each truck carries 5,000 litres. When an aircraft needs fuel during its turnaround, a free truck drives from the depot to the stand, parks beside the aircraft – never under the wing or in front of the nose – refuels it and returns to refill when it runs low.
How much fuel a turnaround needs depends on the aircraft: a light single-engine aircraft takes about 150 litres, a feeder turboprop several hundred, and a narrowbody jet several thousand – so a jet may need a truck on its own.
Costs and income
- Purchase: 120,000 €.
- Running costs: 150 € per day.
Every litre you sell earns the difference between your purchase price (market price plus your supplier's markup) and the fixed selling price. A truck pays for itself quickly at a busy airport.
How many trucks?
Watch the turnarounds: if aircraft sit at the stand waiting for fuel while everything else is done, you need another truck. Delays ripple through the flight schedule and cost airline satisfaction.
Trucks need a connection between the fuel farm and the apron – service roads are ideal, since visitor cars cannot use them.
Ground operations manager
A Ground operations manager with the strength Fast turnaround shortens vehicle jobs, including refuelling – see airport management.